Folding hand bag



June 5, 1928.

C. R. KE ISER ET AL FOLDING HAND BAG Filed July 1927 5. a M n m m m m A r 6 J w fi 1/ 0 xK lii uil wih I 4 1 WW/ i /7 Patented J une 5, 1928.-

UNITED STATES PATENT'O-FFICE.

CHARLES R. KEISER, OI DAYTON, AND THEODOBER. BIKE, OF WEST ALEXANDRIA, OHIO.

romaine HAND BAG.

Application filed July 9,

The invention relates to improvements in folding hand bags.

The object of the present invention 1s to improve the construction of folding hand bags and to provide a'simple, practical and inexpensive hand bag of strong and durable construction adapted to be readily unfolded and extended to form a luggage carrier and capable of being readily folded and compactly arranged in an attractive form simulating a pocket book for convenlent carrying when empty.

A further object of the invention is to provide a folding hand bag of this character adapted to eliminate all seams at the points of greatest strain and so constructed as to enable the back to take a natural fold at the desired points in folding the bag to its compact or folded condition.

Another object of the invention is to equip the folding hand bag with stifi'enedflaps between which the body of the bag is folded and to provide supporting straps connecting the fla s for holding the body of the bag in its olded position and for also cooperating with the stifiened flaps to maintain the body of the bag in rectangular form. when the body of the bag is unfolded for use as a luggage carrier. I l

A further object of the invention is to enable the supporting straps which are connected with the stiffened flaps to Not or swing from one osition to the ot er and thereby obviate t e necessity of fastening and unfastening straps in'folding and unfoldin the hand bag.

Wit these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accom anying drawings and pointed out in the clalms hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without de arting from the spirit or sacrificing any the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a perspective view of a hand bag constructed in accordance with this invention and shown folded.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of a hand bag 1927. Serial N0. 204,556.

Fig. 6 is a detailed view of one of thelower corners of the body of the bag, the latter being collapsed and the triangular flap being shown in dotted lines.

In the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the folding hand bag comprises in its construction a collapsible and foldable body constructed of a single sheet of any suitable flexible material. The single sheet or body blank whichis illustrated in plan view in Fig. 4 of the drawing is re- 'cessed or cut away at opposite sides of the center to provide triangular flaps 1 and to form end sections 2 and 3, the bottom section or portion 4 and the side portions or sections 5 lying between the flaps land the end sections 2 and 3. The end sections which form the end walls of the hand bag are overlapped and secured together by a suitable adhesive such as cement or any other suitable means as will be readily understood. The end section 2 of each end wall extends to the center line of the end wall and is narrower than the section 3 which over laps the end section 2 be 0nd the center line forming a thickened reinforced portion at one side of the center line of the end wall thereby providing a natural line of fold at the center indicated by the dotted line 6. The triangular end flap overlaps the bottom endportions of the sections 1 and 2 and is secured to the same by an adhesive or any other suitable means and the triangular end flap is adapted to fold inwardly along the dotted line 6 of Fig. 2 of the drawing to ermit the body portion of the bag to colapse preparatory to folding the body into the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. In Fig. 4 of the drawing the bottom section is defined by the transverse dotted lines 7 and the longitudinal dotted lines 8 which indicate the bending of the flaps at the corners of the bag to form the end walls and also the end extremities of the bottom section of the body. In the collapsing of the body of the bag to arrange the sides thereof fiat against each other preparatory to folding the body into compact form, the bottom of the bag folds on the dotted lines 9 and'lO of Fig. 4 of the drawing. The bottom section in collapsing moves downwardly and the end portions of the bottom section collapse inwardly on the dotted lines 10 and fold with the end walls of the body in the inward collapsing thereof. After the body is collapsed and the sides brought flat against each other with the end walls folded. between the sides, the lower portion of the body of the back is folded upon the intermediate portion and the interniediate and bottom portions are then folded against the top portion of the body, making two folds to arrange the body in compact form as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The body of the bag is provided at opposite sides at the upper portions thereof with reinforced side flaps 11 consisting of sheets of the same material as the body of the bag provided at their inner faces wit-h a layer 12 of suitable stiffening material. The stiffening material which may be of any desired character may, of course, be omitted if desired, but it is preferable to employ the stiffening means and the side flaps are secured to the body of the bag at the upper edges thereof by top extensions 13 which are folded inwardly and suitably secured to the inner face of the body of the bag at the upper edges thereof. This also provides a finish for the upper portion of the interior of the body of the bag in addition to attaching the side flaps thereto. The side fiapswhich extend entirely across the body of the bag to the end walls thereof practically conceal the folded body of the bag which is supported in its folded position by a pair of straps 14 of suitable flexible material preferably of the same material as the body of the. bag and secured at their ends to the exterior of the end flaps by suitable fastening devices 15 which form pivots for the straps 14 to permit the same to be readily swung from'the position illustrated in Fig. lot the drawing to that shown in Fig. 2 and from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that ilhistrated in Fig. 1. The fastening devices 15 may consist'of snap fasteners and will enable the straps to be detached if desired. \Vhen the straps are arranged as shown at Fig. 1, they hold the side flaps 11 together and prevent separation of the same and support the folded body of the bag between the side flaps. The hand bag when in this position is compact and presents a neat and attractive appearance and may be conveniently carried. When the hand bag is extended and unfolded the straps extend across the end walls of the body of the bag and connect the side flaps and cooperate "with the same in maintaining the body of the bag in its natural rectangular shape illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing. This enables the hand bag to present a neat. and attractive appearance when in use as a luggage carrier. Thehand bag is provided at the upper edges at opposite sides with suitable handles 16 which may be of any desired construc: tion. The handles may consist ofstrips of material composing the body of the bag and they may be secured by suitable adhesive to the inner faces of the sides of the body by an adhesive. a fastening means the hand bag may be stitched as indicated by the dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings or any other suitable means may be employed in securing the sections or other portions of the hand bag together and the body portion is desi ned to be provided at opposite sides at its edges with snap fasteners 17 or other suitable means for holding the mouth or upper edges of the body closed when the hand bag is folded. The hand bag may be made exceedingly cheap or expensive materials may be employed in its construction if desired.

By constructing the body of the hand bag in one piece, with the exception of the stiffened flaps, all seams at the points of greatest strain are eliminated and the triangular flaps at the bottom of the body at the lower ends of the end walls and the adjacent end portions of the bottom section collapse inwardly with the end walls and the hand bag takes a natural fold along the side seams formed by the sections of the end walls. Both of the end flaps are shown free from the body except at the point of attachment at the upper edges of the body, but it is only necessary that one of the side flaps be free in order to accommodate the folded body between the end fiaps. The small connecting straps which prevent the bag from spreading at the bottom when folded also support the bag and prevent it from dropping out of place and when the body of the bag is unfolded and arranged for use as a luggage carrier, the said straps extend across the end walls and connect the reinforced side flaps Inaddition to an adhesive asand prevent the bag from spreading beyond its natural width thereby maintaining the rectangular formation of the bag and the desired effect for good appearance. stiffened side flaps assist in maintaining the bag square and in definite shape when used as a luggage carrier.

What is claimed is:

1. A folding bag including abody having side and end walls and a bottom, and collapsible inwardly to arrange the side walls fiat against each other, side flaps secured to the body at the upper edges thereof, said The body being foldable into compact form between the side flaps, and straps connecting the side flaps at the bottom and extending beneath and supporting the body in its folded position, said strips being movable from said supporting position to permit unfolding of the body and extending across the end walls and connecting the slde flaps when the body is unfolded.

2. A folding bag including a body having side and end walls and a bottom, and collapsible inwardly to arrange the side walls fiat against each other, side flaps secured to the body at the upper edges thereof, said body being foldable into compact form between the side flaps, and straps connecting the side flaps at the bottom and supporting the body in its folded position, said straps being pivoted to the side flaps and arranged to swing into and out of their supporting position and extending across the end walls and connecting the side flaps when the body is unfolded.

3. A folding bag including a body having side and end walls and a bottom, and colla sible inwardly to arrange the side walls at against each other, and stiff side flaps secured to the body at the upper edges thereof and extending entirely across the body and maintaining a straight line along the top of the body at each side thereof at all times, said body being foldable into compact form between the side flaps.

4. A folding bag including a body having side and end walls and a bottom, and collapsible inwardly to arrange the side walls fiat against each other, stiff side flaps secured to the body at the upper edges thereof and extending entirely across the body and maintaining a straight line along the top of the body ,at each side thereof at all times, said body being foldable into compact form between the side flaps, and straps extending across the ends of the body and connecting the ends of the stiff side flaps at the lower ortions thereof and movable to a position eneath the bag body when the same is folded. I

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our hands.

- CHARLES R. KEISER.

THEODORE R. RIKE. 

